Moscow, May 24, 2022 (AFP) – Russian justice on Tuesday confirmed in an appeals case that the Kremlin’s main rival, Alexei Navalny, was sentenced to nine years in prison in a “severe” regime. fraud” and “humiliation”.
“The decision of the Lefortovo court of March 22 has not changed,” said a judge at the Moscow municipal court, adding that it “will take effect immediately.”
First, on March 22, the charismatic anti-corruption activist, who is currently serving a prison sentence under a “normal” regime, was sentenced to nine years in prison on more severe terms under a “severe” regime.
Prison authorities must now transfer him to another detention center, which will be notified later.
Navalny’s spokesperson, Kira Iarmich, said on Twitter that she had arrived at colony 6 of Melekhovo, more than 200km from Moscow, saying on Twitter that she “has been known to torture and kill prisoners.”
Among other things, Navalny was accused of fraud involving millions of rubles in donations to anti-corruption organizations.
The penalty includes the sentence for “fraud” imposed in March 2021 in a case that began in 2014 and involved the French company Yves Rocher.
The opponent’s lawyers immediately announced that they would appeal the sentence.
Alexei Navalny watched the trial in Pokrov Prison, 100 km from Moscow, where he was serving his first sentence, via video conference.
When invited to speak before the debate was over, the opponent did not hesitate in his words, despite various requests for orders from the court.
“I despise your court, your system,” he said, before adding that the trial was pointless.
“I definitely don’t want to be in a cell,” he said. “I would rather see my children grow up, but I want them not to be afraid of people, being afraid is a crime against our future,” he said.
Despite this, he once again condemned the Russian military offensive in Ukraine and said it was based on a “lie”. But “they will expire and they will burn in hell,” he said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized the conviction and said Russia was trying to “suppress opposition”.
“The rejection of Navalny’s appeal is yet another example of the Kremlin’s attempt to squeeze in opposition and civil society,” Blinken wrote on Twitter.
“We respect the brave citizens of Russia who are protesting their government’s brutal war (against Ukraine) and widespread corruption despite threats, accusations, arrests and poisonings,” he said.
Alexei Navalny was detained in January 2021 after returning from Berlin, where he had been recuperating for months after being poisoned and blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian president denies any intervention and no investigation has been launched in the country regarding the incident.
Navalny’s arrest marked the beginning of a massive crackdown on all anti-Kremlin movements and independent media in Russia.
Russian authorities have strengthened their legal arsenal to control information about the conflict in Ukraine, imposing a prison sentence of up to 15 years for anyone who spreads “fake news” about the Russian military.
source: Noticias
